Artificial-stone refrigerator and method of forming the same



Feb. 26, 1929. y L. c. coPr-:MAN i ARTIFICIAL STONE REFRIGERATR AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME 2 Sheets--Sheet l Filed Hay 21, 1926 INVENToR. ,Zo'y @@peman BY l ATTORNEY.

Feb. 26,A 1929; 1,703,511

L. G. CCPEMAN ARTIFICIAL' STONE EERIGERATOR AND METHOD oF FORMINE THE SAME .mega may l, 192s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 1 v i 5 INVENToR. d Zayd @pe/nan ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE..

LLOYD G. COIEMAN, 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO COPEMAN LABORATORIES COMPANY, 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ARTIFICIAL-STONE REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD OF FOHING THE SAME.

Application led May 21, 1926.- Serial No. 110,589.

This invention relates to artificial stone refrigerators and method of forming the s ame. It has to do particularly with the provision of a method of building and forming the refrigerator structure within a wall whereby the refrigerator unit will be completely enclosed within the walls and the front ofthe unit will be flush with the wall. 1

I have found that refrigerators and other similar articles may be formed of artificial stone to present a very compact, light and beautiful refrigerator, or other article, by casting such article of moulded s tone formed, preferably, of an Oxy-chloride cement. Hitherto these artificial stone refrigerators vhave been cast or moulded by various different methods, some of which have contemplated casting the refrigerator' as a solid unit ofstone, and others, the forming` of a reinforcing structure, and the moulding or applying of the plastic stone to the interior and exterior of such reinforcing structure 0r core. The method of applying the plastic stone to the reinforcing core has many advantages over the solid stone refrigerator, but the chief advantage is the fact thaty such reinforced refrigerators may be subjected to various stresses and strains and sudden jolts without' readily cracking or deforming the stone surface of the refrigerator.

The present invention relates to the method of forming a refrigerator unit having parts of its surfaces of artificial stone, but which method of forming is such that the refrigerator may be built with a minimum amount of expense and which mayvbe built on the job and therefore insure a perfect refrigerator ready to use without the necessity of subjecting the same to the jolts and strains incident to shipping.

More specically, this invention relates to Y the casting of the refrigerator unit in its place; that is, the reinforcing core and insulating wall of the refrigerator are built complete` during the building of the house, apartment, or other structure, and upon the completion, or partial completion of the building, the refrigerator may be completed by the placing of suitable dies or cores in the mould formed by the wall and the artificial stonelining of the refrigerator cast complete.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view partly eut away showing the novel refrigerator unit built in the wall of a house or apartment.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation showin the rough refrigerator shell built in the wal and illustrating one method of .casting thel artificial stone lining on the job.

Although the present method primarily contemplates the forming of a refrigerator unit within a wall, it will be understood that the refrigerator unit or similar article may be formed or cast any place where the reinn forcing shell, or mould, may be initially built by the person or contractor building the house or other structure, and so long as the rough reinforcing, or defining structure is initially built and the article to be cast may be sim ly cast in its place without the use of any other articles with the exception ofthe casting apparatus. g'

Any suitable form or shape of mould or reinforcing structure may be utilized in per forming my novel method'and in the drawings I have illustrated one method of forming a standard refrigerator unit in a wall. In Fig. l I have'illustrated a refrigerator unit installed complete in a wall. In the performance of this method, as illustrated, the

specifications for the rough wooden box, or

refrigerating unit are preferably submitted t0 the person or contractor building the apartment or other struct-ure. This box may be designated l, and may be very easily and quickly built at the time that the various post-s and connecting joists 2 are nailed in place. This box' will therefore merely form part of the specifications for the buildin Any' suitable insulating material or cori board 3 may' then be fitted in, or nailed to the rough wooden box 1, and such box is then .complete as far as thebuilder is concerned.-

` an ordinaryr cast stone refrigerator, but

solution to make the mix of the desired constone directly to the shell to form a refrigsistency to readily pour. This plastic cement erator unit cast in place. may then be poured into the space between 4. The method of forming cast refrigerathe dies 5 and the mould formed by the rough tor units, orthe like, which consists in conbox l in any desired mannen That is, the structing a shell as part of a wall structure dies may be vibrated, if desired, to secure and then east uniting a covering of stone a suitable setting of thev Oxy-chloride cement, work to the interior surface of said shell.

or the cement pour may be of such fluidity as 5. The method f forming refrigerator to settle by gravity. to the wooden box, or to the insulated cork the refrigerator structure in place at the lining of such box, the .dies may be removed place of use to form the rough framework and the complete refrigerator will be built and define the storage compartment or comor cast right into the wall. Doors 7 which partments and finishing the remainder by may be separately cast, or which may be cast uniting a layer of stone work thereto. merely wooden doors sprayed with artificial 6. The method of forming refrigerators stone, may then be secured to the cast refrigas part of a building structure which consists erator to thus form a complete refrigerator in constructing a part of a wall structure to unit; no part of which is exposed except the serve as a rough mold for the refrigerator,

front which will be flush with -tl-.e wall of the lining said wall structure with suitable insuroom. lating material, placing a core in the mold It will be important to note that I have formed by the wall structure and the insulatdevised a method whereby cast stone refriging material, pouring a plastic artificial erators, or similar articles which have hit-herstone in the space between the insulating mato been only cast by use of 'expensive moulds terial and the core and allowing the plastic and dies, may now be cast in their place of material to set whereby it will directly aduse with a minimum amount of expense and here to the insulating material after retime. By my method the exterior finishing moval of the core. of the refrigerator, or other article, which 7. A refrigerator, or has heretofore been an expensive and com- Acomprising a rough reinforcing and defining plicated undertaking has been entirely donestructure built up as a part of a building or away with,'and the box, or reinforcing memother place where the refrigerator is tol be bers are built at the time of building of the installed, said reinforcingt and defining house `or other structure with very little structure giving shape to the refrigerator added expense. As a result of ,this method and the chamber or chambers thereof, and a 'an efficient, compact refrigerator is obtained shell of cast stone cast united to the interior which presents all the desirable features of walls of said rough structure.

8. A refrigerator, or cabinet construction,

cabinet construction, -f

The cement having set units which consists in building up' part of which in addition, takes up practically no comprising a shell structure of rough wood additional room whatever. boards forming a part of a building structure What I claim is: or other place where the refri erator is to 1. The method of casting and installing be used, said rough boards being fitted to articles of artificial stone which consists of give shape to the cabinet or refrigerator, a building up apermanent defining structure of Llining lof heat insulating material on some rough boards at the place of use, securing of the inner walls of said shell structure, and dies in lproper position relative to the deand a coating of stonework applied in a plasfining structure whereby said defining structic state directly to the interior surfaces of ture serves as a mold, then pouring plastic said insulating material. stone in the space between the dies and defin- 9. A built-in refrigerator, or cabinet coning structureand then removing the dies struction, comprising a rough framework whereby the article is cast in place ready for forming a part of the wall of a building strucuse. ture and extending inwardly from the wall 2. The method df building a refrigerator or walls of such building, a lining of heat in a wall which consists in forming a rough insulating material on the inner walls of said refrigerator box as a part of the wall struc- ,framework and defining the chamber or ture, placing a core in the mould formed by chambers of the refrigerator, and a coating the box structure and pouring a plastic ceof stonework applied in a plastic state to the ment in the space between the core and mouldS surfaces of said shell and allowed to set in a to form a cast refrigerator unit. f solid monolithic coating and extending in- 3. The method of building and installing wardly from the wall of the building strucrefrigerator units or the like which consists ture. in forming a permanent reinforcing means In testimony whereof I have affixed my of rough boards as part of a wall strucsignature. ture, lining the reinforcing means with an insulating shell and then applying plastic LLOYD G. COPEMAN. 

